


Little Notes

by Sachiela



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: 2017 Klance Holiday Exchange, Christmas gift, First Dates, Getting Together, Klance Holiday Exchange, M/M, band au, band!au, non-binary Pidge, passings notes like kids, rating is really just for some language, this is just pure fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-21
Updated: 2017-12-21
Packaged: 2019-02-17 20:48:45
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 11,274
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13085082
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sachiela/pseuds/Sachiela
Summary: Lance, Hunk, Pidge, and Shay form a band called Interstellar Lions, where Lance is lead guitarist and songwriter. But he can't find the inspiration for a ballad. The others suggest that he asks out their manager, who he'd been crushing on for months. Despite his reservations, he does just that.And the rest is just pure fluff.





	Little Notes

**Author's Note:**

> No, really, this is just fluff. I just read through it again to proof it and I didn't realize just how fluffy I wrote it.
> 
> This is for tooruoikawass on Tumblr, who requested, "Band!au where Lance is the one in a band (with Pidge and Hunk) and Keith is a fan/producer/etc. Usually, it’s the other way round so I would like to see something different."
> 
> I got a little too inspired by it and ran with it. 11K later, and we have this. 
> 
> The verse/lyrics/poem at the end is mine. I came up with it in the car with my wife while brain-storming the story and the rest of it grew around those four lines. 
> 
> I really hope you like it, tooruoikawass. It was so much fun to write and I hope I didn't tease you too much on anon.
> 
> EDIT: Just to clarify something, all the notes in just italics are from Lance. The underlined/italics one is from Keith.

Being part of a band was both everything and nothing like Lance had imagined when he first realized that he and his best friends might actually have a shot at making it big.

Not that he was complaining. Oh, hell no. But it did make him pause every once in awhile.

The screaming fans and numerous talk show appearances he had expected. Anticipated even. But he’d thought there’d be more of a connection between himself and the fans. Maybe find that one fan that made all of it absolutely worth it.

He learned quickly not to put much faith in his older sister’s romance novels.

It wasn’t that he held much hope in the beginning for anything like that to happen, but it had been a nice dream. Yet even when on stage with hundreds of screaming fans in front of him, he only felt more alone.

No, that wasn’t true either.

He had his bandmates. He and Hunk had been best friends since they were kids and had taken guitar lessons together through middle school. Hunk was the best bassist he could hope for. Pidge was an absolute genius on the keyboard and pretty much any bit of electronics they could get their hands on. They’d joined the boys in high school. Which is also where Hunk had met (and swiftly fallen for) Shay. The two of them had been inseparable from the moment they started talking. Finding out later that Shay had an excellent sense of rhythm and was able to pick up the drums with barely any practice was just the icing on the cake.

They decided to play together at first just to see. To see if they were any good, if they could work together like that. To see if anyone would even be interested in them.

At one club on a Saturday night during the summer before college, Allura (CEO of Altea Records) and Shiro (her top producer) had heard them play. And the following day Interstellar Lions had a record deal. Pidge and their older brother Matt had looked over the offer closely before allowing anyone to sign. When they could find no fault in the fine print, though, they were all for it.

It had been a near whirlwind after that. Shiro had encouraged them to continue their education, even going so far as to put in their budget a stipend to take courses as they were able, which were online for the time being.

But that led to the other thing Lance hadn’t expected.

Keith.

When Shiro had first offered them the contract, Lance had been more than a little smitten. He would admit it. But Shiro hadn’t been their manager like they had expected. At least, not long after the first couple of weeks. Instead he’d passed on the job to Keith, who was barely older than Lance himself.

Despite his age, Keith was amazing at what he did, able to juggle their schedule like a pro while also making sure they were marketed in the best way possible to increase their exposure and sales. More than half of Interstellar Lions’ success was from the direct efforts of Keith and had nothing to do with how good they actually played.

At first, Lance had been more than a little intimidated by Keith--and maybe a little jealous. But that passed quickly. They each had their jobs to do and Keith was just one to throw everything he had into doing his job well, even at the expense of his own health.

While Lance had already started warming up to their manager, it wasn’t until a couple months after their initial signing that his feelings took a drastic turn. There had been some sort of scheduling SNAFU that had Keith making dozens of phone calls and racing all over town on his motorcycle (which was another _wtf_ moment entirely) for meetings until it had gotten fixed. It had taken him well into the evening to finish and the band’s cells had lit up with the results afterwards.

It had reminded Lance that he’d forgotten his notebook at the studio even though he’d wanted to work on some lyrics that evening. He’d hurried back, grabbing the pad and planning on leaving right away when he’d noticed the light still on in Keith’s office. He knocked lightly and received no response. _Had he forgotten to turn it off when he left?_ Having grown up listening to his mother berate him if he was wasting electricity, Lance figured he’d just turn it off and continue on his way home.

However, he was surprised to find Keith slumped over his desk, breathing deeply as he slept, his cell phone held loosely in his hand as if he’d passed out immediately after texting all of them.

Lance frowned. _That can’t be comfortable. He’ll ruin his back like that._ He wasn’t about to wake him up, though. Given what he’d seen so far, Keith would likely just try to throw himself back into his work, regardless of how tired he was. And Lance didn’t think he’d be able to get Keith all the way back to the band’s place without waking him up. (No way was he about to let Keith get on his motorcycle when he was tired enough to sleep at his desk.)

He glanced out into the hallway, but there wasn’t anyone around. It was late enough that the majority (if not all) of the workers had gone home. He could probably hunt someone down, but then what? Call Shiro? Or would that just make Keith upset for inconveniencing other people?

 _Oh! The couch!_ Their studio space had a couch and a couple chairs off to one side, requested by Hunk to give them a comfortable area to work. Shay had brought in a couple throw pillows and blankets and it quickly became their favorite area. That would be tons more comfortable than a desk chair. And given it was so close, he’d likely be able to move Keith by himself.

To save himself the trouble later, he went back to the studio and propped open the door before clearing off the couch. He wasn’t stupid enough to think he could do that with his arms full of another person. He’d learned that lesson early on with his younger siblings, and they were considerably smaller than Keith. He then went back to Keith’s office, glad that his door stayed open when he let it go. One less thing to bother with.

The true unknown in all of this was how light a sleeper Keith was. Would he wake up as soon as Lance touched him? He hadn’t stirred when Lance was coming and going from the room, so maybe he slept deep enough for this to work. Either way, Lance was going to approach this as if he were about to move his youngest sibling, who was prone to waking at the drop of a hat.

He carefully took Keith’s phone and put it on silent, slipping it into his pocket. The last thing he needed was it going off and wasting all his efforts. He slowly maneuvered Keith until he could tip him to lean against Lance’s shoulder instead of the desk, securing one arm around his back while the other slid under his legs. Steeling himself, Lance stood fluidly, doing his best not to jostle the smaller man. Though, this was the first proof he’d had of that besides the obvious height difference (he’d hold on to those couple inches, dammit). _I thought he’d feel heavier with dense muscle or something. Doesn’t he eat enough?_

Not like he was one to talk, he mused as he made his way back to the studio again. Hunk had pulled both he and Pidge out of the building multiple times when he’d felt it’d been too long since they last ate. And he was usually right.

Either way, carrying Keith wasn’t any more difficult than his siblings, which was a relief. He got to the couch without incident and placed Keith down, grabbing one of the blankets off the back to cover him with. He knew the studio could get chilly after hours. He debated for a moment, then sent a text to Keith’s phone to let him know where he was in case he woke up confused, as he likely would. Only after he saw the message arrive did he take Keith’s phone back off silent, though he changed it from ring to vibrate just in case, leaving it on the coffee table within reach.

As he was about to leave, notebook in hand, he heard movement and froze. _Don’t wake up!_ he urged. The man was obviously exhausted and needed all the sleep he could get!

But all Keith did was turn onto his side, curling tightly under the blanket. Lance felt a flush rise to his cheeks. _Cute!_ his mind supplied unhelpfully and he darted to remove the door prop, shutting it silently behind him. He made sure Keith’s office was also properly shut down before fleeing the building.

He could already tell this was going to be worse than his brief infatuation with Shiro, because he’d actually gotten to know the smaller man before seeing how cute he could be.

 _Shit_.

He was fucking _screwed_.

*~*

_Iverson is a dick and I don’t know how you can talk to him without punching him, Mullet._

*~*

The next day, Keith muttered a quiet thanks, face pink, as he passed by Lance on the way to meet with the rest of the band. It took a moment for Lance to connect the dots and promptly blushed in return, nearly running face first into the door to the studio.

 _Absolutely screwed_ , he thought as he tried to ignore Pidge’s teasing and Hunk’s worry that he wasn’t feeling well.

*~*

_Hey, Keith, Hate to ask this, but could we get some more guitar picks? I think Pidge keeps stealing them._

*~*

Over the next few weeks, Keith felt himself slowly losing his mind. He couldn’t figure out if Lance was suddenly actively flirting with him or just treating him as another friend. And honestly he wasn’t sure which he preferred.

The time Lance had moved him to the couch had definitely been some sort of turning point in their relationship. It was as if that bit of vulnerability Keith had shown had made it so that Lance was able to treat him as more than just a work colleague. Every couple days, he’d find some note or other tucked into his planner (and he still wasn’t sure how Lance was getting them in there without him noticing) telling him to remember his umbrella if the weather threatened rain, or even trying to encourage him not to stay too late.

Keith wouldn’t tell anyone this, not even Shiro, but he’d been keeping each note in a small folder at the back of his desk drawer. Even if Lance didn’t mean them to be anything more than friends, it was nice to have someone care for him enough to send him the notes. Not even Shiro, who was the closest person he had to family, had gone that far.

And then there was the time Hunk had brought in a snack for everyone, including Keith as Lance had seemed to draw him more into their fold. One look at the cookies, though, and Keith knew he’d have to refuse. He loved chocolate, but his lactose intolerance made everything a risk. Hunk had apologized profusely, which Keith felt torn about, because how could he have known?

But then the next day Hunk had come back with some gooey chocolate brownies that smelled absolutely heavenly and were declared dairy-free. And it might have been the best thing Keith had ever tasted.

When he’d gone back to thank Hunk for them later, though, Hunk had laughed and told him he should really be thanking Lance instead. As soon as the lead singer had heard about his allergy, he’d started scouring the internet for recipes that would be safe for Keith. He’d dragged Hunk to the store that evening to get whatever they’d needed and helped him prepare everything. So, while Hunk would gladly take any praise for the taste of the food, everything else had been done by Lance.

Keith had wondered if that meant something more, then. If Lance was trying to hint at anything. He had been about to ask Lance himself, sick of chasing thoughts around in his own head, when Lance had surprised Pidge with their favorite gummy worms from a small shop near Lance’s family’s home. Pidge had all but jumped Lance with a hug to get them, both of them laughing.

_Maybe that’s just how Lance treats all his friends. It wasn’t anything special just for me._

*~*

_Don’t forget your coat later, buddy._

*~*

“Wait, you got us the weekend off?” Lance asked, surprised. “We don’t need to make any appearances or anything?”

To have a full two days off, and a completely free Friday night, was unheard of since Interstellar Lions had signed their contract. They’d always get at least one day a week, though everyone worked together to try to get them two, but they were never adjacent.

“Yes, the whole weekend. I don’t want you to burn out or anything. You need to take care of yourselves,” Keith replied, keeping his gaze down at his planner. He didn’t want it to be too obvious that he was worried about all of them, especially Lance. They’d all been looking a little sluggish and Lance had stopped joking around as much. When he’d mentioned his concern to Shiro, the older man had suggested giving them a longer break. It had taken some work and a bit of juggling, but he was able to do it. A longer break would have been better, but with their new album in the works, it was harder to justify.

After the release, though, he’d be sure to give them more time to relax.

When Lance didn’t reply right away, Keith finally looked up and found Lance to be staring at him with a soft look on his face. Their eyes met and a blush rose in Lance’s cheek, which made Keith start feeling warm as well.

“Really, though?” Lance coaxed. “And everyone’s okay with it?”

Keith shrugged. “Well, yeah. You guys have been doing really well lately, too. Shiro said you might appreciate the break.”

He didn’t miss the way Lance’s face fell and how he took a step back with a soft, “Oh.” Keith hadn’t realized how close they had gotten until there was space between them again.

He watched Lance go back to join his bandmates and couldn’t help but think he’d somehow missed something and messed everything up.

*~*

_You’ve been looking tired lately, samurai. Don’t push yourself too hard._

*~*

Months had passed since the time Lance found Keith sleeping at his desk and though Lance’s feelings had evolved to something that could no longer be called just a crush, he had done everything he could to hide it. At least, hide it from Keith. Hunk and Pidge had picked up on it within days, but had thankfully kept quiet, even if Pidge had taken to making rude gestures periodically.

His feelings for Keith were pushed to the back of his mind as he stared at the paper in front of him. Normally the words came easily. He wouldn’t call himself a great writer by any means, but Hunk said he had a gift for putting lyrics together that had drawn in their fan base. It felt like the spring dried up, though. Nothing wanted to be put to paper. Nothing felt right. He could write more upbeat songs all day, but the ballad they had collectively decided to include in their next album didn’t even have a line.

Lance scribbled down something out of spite--he wasn’t going to be bested by _writer’s block_ \--but he hated it. He tore out the page and balled it up, missing the waste basket by miles.

“Still stuck on that last track?” Hunk asked kindly as he sat beside him on the couch. He placed a hand on Lance’s back and rubbed it lightly. Really, he was too good for someone as worthless as Lance.

Shay joined them on Hunk’s other side, but leaned in close. Both of them were as physically affectionate as Lance, which he appreciated beyond words. “You have so much love in you, Lance. I’m sure you’ll come up with something wonderful.”

Sighing, Lance slumped into his best friend. “Why don’t you two write this one? You’re in love with each other. This would be easy for you.” Even before he felt Hunk’s laugh, he knew that would never happen. Hunk was _smart_ \--on par with Pidge, and the two of them oftentimes started conversations about engineering that went completely over Lance’s head. For all his brain power, however, he was absolute crap at anything resembling poetry.

They still had a good laugh when one of them brought up the verse he’d tried to write for Shay when they had started dating.

And Shay, for all she loved to read anything she could get her hands on to learn about the world around her, was almost worse at writing than Hunk. So it fell to Lance to write their lyrics and usually he thrived there, confident in the one thing he could provide to the band that was just his.

“What happened to _Loverboy Lance_ ?” Pidge teased from the floor, surrounded by wires and various parts of-- _something_. Lance wondered if it was their old keyboard.

Hunk shook his head and Lance gratefully leaned more against him. He always knew when the lead singer couldn’t handle their usual teasing. “Not right now, Pidge.”

They shrugged, but let it go. “Maybe you should just go on a date, then? See if that inspires anything?”

Feeling dread curling in his stomach for where this conversation was going, Lance quickly shook his head. “No way. We don’t have that kind of time. If I don’t already like the person, it’ll take months or even years!”

“It’s not like we’re on any sort of strict deadline,” Hunk soothed.

Pidge grinned and Lance’s stomach dropped. “So just ask out Keith.”

“That’s a great idea!” Shay agreed.

Bright red, Lance shook his head again. “No. That’s a horrible idea. He’ll never say yes.”

“There’s no evidence to support that,” Pidge countered, looking back down at the part in their hands. “And you were the one looking for connection. If you want inspiration from an actual relationship, it’s either him or one of our _adoring_ fans.”

Lance cringed at their tone, but knew they were right. Since signing their record deal after high school, they had become almost isolated from their peers. All anyone ever saw was someone _famous_.

Pulling Lance into a hug, Hunk rested his head on top of Lance’s. “We’re not pushing you to do this for the song, either. We want you to be happy and we think you have a chance here. You’re gonna regret it if you don’t at least try.”

“Yeah, what he said,” Pidge added, tipping to lean against Lance’s shin for a moment. It was the closest they ever really got to hugging him.

“And we’ll be here supporting you no matter what you do or what happens,” Shay said, reaching around her boyfriend to stroke Lance’s hair gently.

Staring at the blank notebook in his lap, Lance sighed and relaxed fully against Hunk. He didn’t deserve friends this amazing. He swallowed thickly, feeling his heart try to climb up his throat as he nodded. “O-okay. I’ll try.”

*~*

_Do you wanna get coffee sometime?_

*~*

Keith stared at the note in his planner with a mix of fondness and confusion. He didn’t need to look at the previous messages stashed in the bottom drawer of his desk to know who it was from. This was the first time Lance had sent him something that encouraged a response. Was this supposed to be for him even? He wasn’t addressed directly compared to the others. No nicknames or anything. He tried to keep his things away from the chaotic mess that was Interstellar Lions’ studio, but there was a possibility that something had floated in earlier when he’d stopped in to chat with them.

And if it wasn’t meant for him? He’d just embarrass both of them if he asked. Maybe it was part of a song lyric that Lance had scribbled down? He’d been working hard on that new song lately.

He put away the note with the others in his desk. If Lance had meant that for him, he’d ask again, right?

*~*

A week passed and Keith didn’t get any new notes at all.

*~*

“Okay, you and Keith have both seemed sad lately. What’s going on?” Hunk prompted, chilling on a beanbag in Lance’s parents’ basement. All four of them were there to hang out and play video games for the evening, but Lance knew he wasn’t his usual cheerful self.

But… “Keith is sad?” he couldn’t help but ask. Why would Keith be sad? Had something happened? Or...was he upset about Lance asking him out? Had he wanted their relationship to remain colleagues/friends and Lance had just made everything awkward?

Pidge finished setting up the console and passed out controllers before plopping in the remaining unoccupied beanbag. “Something like that. He’s been quiet these last couple days. And he keeps looking through his planner and frowning as if something was missing.”

“Oh.” Lance slumped down. “I might have stopped slipping him notes after I gave him one asking him out for coffee last weekend and he never responded.”

“You asked him out with a note? Are you twelve?” Pidge snorted, leaving the game on the menu screen as they gave Lance a flat look.

“I think it’s cute,” Shay replied.

Hunk was giving Lance a questioning once-over. “Cuteness aside, did he know you were asking him out? How obvious did you make it?”

Lance shrugged. “I asked if he wanted to grab a coffee or something. I thought that’d be obvious enough.”

Pidge groaned and flopped back. “You do remember what happened when that security guard tried to hit on him?”

Yeah, they all remembered that one. He’d teased Keith about it for a week even. Keith had nearly punched the guy out when he’d tried to put a friendly hand on Keith’s arm. “You really think he doesn’t know what I meant?”

“I don’t think that. I _know_ he doesn’t realize what you were doing. So better try again.”

*~*

_It was brought to my attention that you might not have known I was trying to ask you out before so...I am. Coffee sometime? If you’re not interested, I won’t bother you with this again. - Lance_

*~*

Keith didn’t want to admit his relief when he’d found the note before lunch with Shiro. He’d feared Lance had stopped and he’d lose those little highlights in his day. But then he paid more attention to what the note was asking and he blushed brightly, glad that he was alone in his office.

How was he supposed to respond, though? Should he even respond? This would be considered unprofessional, right? Even if he really did want to.

Chasing around his own thoughts, he jumped when Shiro knocked on his door.

“Hey, we still on for lunch?” Shiro asked. “If you still have stuff to work on, I can get something ordered for you.”

“No, I’m good. We can go now,” Keith replied, grabbing his wallet as he made his way out.

It was a short ride over to Shiro’s favorite Italian bistro, a little hole-in-the-wall a couple miles away. They were led to a table quickly and their usual orders sent back to the kitchen. As soon as they were left alone with their drinks, Shiro sat back to watch Keith carefully.

“So...is everything going all right?”

Keith couldn’t help his flush and tried to cover it with a huff, staring out the window. “Everything’s fine, Shiro.”

“What had you so distracted earlier, then?” the older man asked, keeping his voice calm even with the probing.

Keith both loved and hated that tone. It was great to be reminded that there was someone that cared for him without judgement, but at the same time he wasn’t sure if he wanted to talk about it with anyone. He paused. Considering he didn’t know what he should do, maybe it would be better to talk about it and get some advice. Pride be damned.

“Lance asked me out to coffee,” he said quietly, keeping his gaze focused outside.

If Shiro was surprised, he didn’t show it, smiling softly. “And…? Are you going to accept?”

Turning even pinker, Keith shrugged. He rubbed at the back of his neck. “I...I don’t know.”

“Do you want to? Or are you trying to figure out how to turn him down gently?”

The younger man shook his head quickly. “I...don’t want to tell him no. I am interested, but...it’s not something I should be doing, right? Since I’m the band’s manager?”

Shiro was silent for a moment and Keith appreciated that he was taking his time to consider his answer, even if the wait made his anxiety skyrocket.

“So...there are two ways I can answer this and I want you to let me finish, all right?” He took a deep breath. “Professionally, it’s not something I can encourage. It’s generally frowned upon and I won’t bother with going into it more than that, since I’m sure you know all of it.”

Keith’s shoulders slumped. He knew Shiro would say that.

“Personally, though, if you’re both interested, I think you should try,” Shiro continued, startling Keith. “You’re both mature enough for this not to affect your work relationship, whether or not you stay together.”

Letting the words soak in, Keith stared at the table, muttering a quiet thanks when their food arrived. “But what if things don’t work out and we can’t work together anymore? What then?”

Shiro regarded him carefully. “On the off-chance that does happen, we’ll find them another manager and get you another band to work with, if you want. Or I could finally bring you on as my direct subordinate. There are options.”

It would still be a risk, no matter what Keith did from here. Saying no wouldn’t guarantee that he could keep working with Lance, depending on how the other took any sort of rejection. Saying yes felt even riskier, though. Could he really put himself out there like that?

“Which would you regret more?” Shiro asked suddenly. “Not taking the chance? Or taking it and simply not having things work out?”

He knew the answer deep down, had probably known all along what he wanted to do. Picking up his fork, he gave his best friend and surrogate brother a nod. “Thanks, Shiro.”

*~*

Unsent - _Though I really hope you say yes._

*~*

Lance hadn’t seen Keith at all since he’d slipped the longer note in his planner that morning. He was trying to hide his worry about it, but--going by the looks Pidge kept sending him--he wasn’t doing a good job. He stepped out of the studio for a moment for a quick run to the restroom and came back out to see Keith closing his office door behind him, which he only did when he was making a phone call that couldn’t be interrupted.

Feeling more and more dejected, Lance went back into the studio space and fell onto the couch. He could let this go. He’d gotten over crushes before, even if this felt like so much more. But he could move on. He didn’t want to do anything to jeopardize Interstellar Lions’ chances and he wasn’t a dick that would resent someone for not returning his feelings.

“Oh, my god, Lance, quit moping and open your damn notebook already. I can’t take this,” Pidge called out, shocking Lance out of his thoughts.

“What?”

Pidge pointed at the table. “Your notebook. Open it.”

Doing as he was told, Lance flipped to the most recently used page. His heart jumped to his throat when he saw his last note to Keith with a response scribbled below.

*~*

_Lunch tomorrow at the cafe down the block?_

*~*

Keith had no illusions that this date would be anything but awkward. That’s what first dates were, right? Even if he hadn’t been on any sort of date for a while, he distinctly remembered the firsts were always bad. But they had to get through them to have better ones later.

So when Lance had met him outside his office and they walked silently down to the cafe, Keith was fine. He knew his feelings were normal and nothing to be concerned over. But everything was thrown off track when Lance suddenly made a frustrated noise and stopped in the middle of the sidewalk. Keith’s mood immediately dropped. Was Lance changing his mind?

“Lance?” he asked quietly, nervous.

The taller man stuffed his hands in his pockets and let out a loud sigh, face flushed enough to be noticeable on his tan skin. “Sorry, I...I thought I would be better at this.”

That didn’t sound like he was upset with Keith, which was a small relief, though he was still confused. “Better at what?”

Lance gestured between them. “ _This_. I don’t normally have issues with small talk, flirting, getting to know someone. I like it, even. But...but I keep worrying I’ll say something that’ll piss you off or whatever and then you’ll realize I’m not worth it and you’ll just leave. And I...really don’t want that to happen.”

 _Oh._ Keith blinked a few times as his own face grew warm. _He’s been worrying about the same things._ “I’m not going to leave,” he said quickly, not sure yet how he wanted to respond.

Lance’s shoulders relaxed, but his expression was still guarded. What could Keith say to make this better? “Listen, I can’t...I can’t guarantee that I won’t react at all if you try to flirt with me, but I won’t get pissed off. I don’t always get when people are trying to flirt, but...but I wouldn’t have agreed to this if I wasn’t interested. So...you don’t need to worry so much.”

The blush now reached Lance’s ears and Keith had the odd urge to touch them to see if they were as warm as they looked. Lance was smiling, though, which Keith took to be a good sign. Maybe he was finally getting better at expressing himself?

They started walking in the direction of the cafe again simultaneously, mood already lifting.

“So...does this mean if I try to play footsie with you under the table, you won’t just kick me in the shin?”

Keith burst out in surprised laughter. That was just so... _Lance_. He really should have seen that coming. He couldn’t stop chuckling until they arrived, but--going by the easy smile on his face--Lance hadn’t really minded.

*~*

_I think that waiter actually turned brighter red than you did, Keith. That was so much fun. Can’t wait to go out again._

*~*

As soon as Keith parked the motorcycle, Lanced pulled back and stared. “Wow…” he whispered, getting his helmet off quickly to take it all in. He didn’t know what else to say. When Keith had dragged him out for a surprise date, he hadn’t expected to be brought to a secluded beach. It wasn’t private by any means, but there were only a few people around. It was a huge contrast to the beaches closer to home.

Keith pulled off his own helmet and looked back at Lance. “Is this all right?”

“Yeah. God, this is amazing,” Lance breathed, unable to take his eyes off the water below. It had been months since he’d been able to visit the beach. For all that he’d grown up on the water, he’d just been so busy as of late. He couldn’t wait to get down-- “Shit. I didn’t bring any trunks.” It wouldn’t be the end of the world, but wet jeans _sucked_.

“Check the saddlebag,” Keith replied with a smirk. “You think I’d drag you out here if you couldn’t jump in?”

Lance climbed off the bike and peeked in. He laughed loudly as he found his trunks and favorite towel right on top. “How?”

“Hunk gave them to me before you came down,” Keith explained, swinging off the bike in a fluid motion that made Lance all kinds of distracted. “When I mentioned bringing you here, he offered to get them to help keep it a surprise.”

“I’ll have to remember to thank him later, then,” Lance replied. He owed Hunk for this. At least a giant hug, if nothing else.

There weren't any sort of facilities, so they took turns changing quickly behind a rock outcropping while the other kept watch. Stashing their clothes back in the saddlebag, they made their way down to the shore. Caught up in the excitement of being on the beach again, Lance snagged Keith’s hand and all but dragged him along. Going by the laugh he heard and Keith tightening his grip when they nearly slipped apart, Lance figured it wasn’t an issue.

Leaving their towels and shoes at the top of the sand, Lance pulled them straight into the water, laughing at Keith’s exclamation from the cold. But it was the perfect temperature for the hot day.

“You didn’t have to dive _right_ in,” Keith said between waves, though there was nothing but amusement in his voice.

Lance dove through the next wave before responding. “You probably would have just stayed in the shallows, barely getting your feet wet.”

A sobering thought crossed his mind and he quickly moved closer to the shorter male. “You can swim, right? Shit, should have asked that before dragging you out here.” The water was only up to his waist between waves, but the undertow was _strong_.

“I can swim, Lance,” Keith replied dryly. “Maybe not as well as someone who obviously grew up like a fish, but enough to save my own ass.” He shook out his wet hair and frowned before gathering the strands and securing them with a black hairband from his wrist (which Lance had honestly thought was just a bracelet earlier).

It was the first time Lance had seen the other’s hair tied back and he found himself staring at the newly exposed neck with a strange fascination. He’d always thought Keith’s hair looked super soft and he’d itched to run his fingers through it to find out, regardless of the ridiculous hair style. Like this, though, he wanted to bite and mark the normally hidden skin.

“Lance!”

The shout came a moment too late and the next wave caught him by surprise. He recovered quickly, more from muscle memory than anything else.

Keith grabbed his arms to help steady him, pulling them back until the water only reached their knees at the peak of the waves. “Are you all right?”

Coughing only slightly, Lance nodded. “Yeah. Sorry about that.”

“What caught your attention like that?” Keith asked, loosening his grip on Lance’s arms, but not moving away.

Lance flushed as he remembered what he had been thinking about. “Ah, nothing. Don’t worry about it.”

“You’re sure?” Keith pushed. He looked so concerned, brow creased.

And, _fuck_ , Lance hadn’t meant to worry him like that, but having Keith’s full attention on him was heady and maybe he was rushing into things a little since they hadn’t been dating long, but-- “Can I kiss you?”

Lance watched with amusement as Keith blushed almost the same color as his motorcycle (maybe even darker--he’d have to see them side-by-side to compare), but he didn’t say no or pull away. If anything, it felt like the distance between them got even smaller. He brought his hands up to cup Keith’s face, fingers brushing that bare neck that had caused all of this. He internally lamented not being able to see how soft his hair was, but promised himself next time.

 _Next time_. The thought made him shiver and he pressed his lips to Keith’s before he lost his courage, nerves tingling at every point of contact between them.

There would definitely be a next time, he insisted, feeling how Keith all but melted against him, giving as good as he got.

Absorbed in their kiss as they were, neither saw the next large wave coming in until it was upon them, pushing them with just enough force to topple them into the surf. Thankfully, all they had to do was sit up to breathe properly.

Lance grabbed a handful of sand and threw it at the ocean. “Not cool!” he shouted. He thought they were buddies! He huffed and would have said more, but his attention was pulled back to his companion (boyfriend? Were they official now?). Keith was nearly doubled over, shaking with laughter. The sight was so endearing that Lance figured he could forgive the ocean.

Just this once.

*~*

_What’s your favorite food, babe? Personally, mine is my mom’s cooking._

*~*

Keith knocked on the door to Interstellar Lions’ apartment, wishing he had something to do with his hands while he waited after hearing Lance’s “Just a second!” He should have brought something. People usually brought something when visiting someone else’s place for the first time, right? But he was too young to buy wine and what kind of message would that send? _I’d like to get you drunk so I can take advantage of you? Ugh. Gross._

Lance finally opened the door and interrupted Keith’s thoughts with a kiss. “Hey, right on time. C’mon in. I’m just about done.”

Leaving his shoes on a small rack by the door, Keith took a look around the apartment as he walked into it fully. The living room, dining room, and kitchen were all open to each other. A small breakfast bar helped separate the kitchen space, but anyone working in the kitchen wouldn’t be cut off from anyone else in the living space--like Lance was, poking at a few things on the stove. There were short hallways to either side of the living room, looking like they went to bedrooms and bathrooms.

Same as in the studio, the couches were covered in blankets and pillows. There were bookshelves full and photos hanging on the walls. All in all, it looked very...cozy. Like a family lived there. It was a huge contrast from his own apartment and he found himself wishing his place felt similar. But he knew just adding a few pillows and decorations wouldn’t be enough. Even with no one here but Lance and himself, he could _feel_ the presence of the others, could tell this was _home_ to them.

 _Speaking of the others_ … “Where is everyone else?” he asked, finally making his way closer to the kitchen to watch Lance dish out something that smelled fragrant and amazing over rice and black beans.

“Ah, Pidge usually goes back home when we have days off to spend time with their family. They and their brother are super close,” Lance said, grabbing two glasses down from a cabinet. “Soda, water, juice?”

“Water’s fine,” Keith replied. “What about Shay and Hunk?”

Lance blushed, though Keith couldn’t understand why. “I...um...might have gotten them tickets to the romcom in theaters right now to send them on their own date.”

Keith chuckled. “You kicked out your best friend?”

Sticking out his tongue, Lance handed him a glass of water and plate of food before grabbing his own. “You make it sound like it was hard. He and Shay were looking for something to do for their own date night. I just got them movie tickets and made a few restaurant suggestions. The rest was all them.”

Keith followed Lance to the dining table, choosing the seat next to him rather than across. It felt too formal to have the table between them. “So...what is this?” Should he get a lactose pill from his wallet? They didn’t work fully for him like he knew they did for others, but it would be better than getting sick for the rest of the night.

“This is my family’s Picadillo recipe,” Lance replied, grinning with pride. “It’s a little different for each family, but this is the version I grew up with. Oh, and there’s no dairy in it or anything, promise.”

“You remembered?” Keith asked, surprised. He couldn’t help it. No one else he’d dated had cared to remember, treating the intolerance like a nuisance.

Lance blushed again, but met Keith’s gaze fondly. “Of course. If I’m gonna cook for someone, what would be the point of making something they won’t or can’t eat?”

Warmth bloomed in his chest and he took his first bite to keep himself from saying something horribly cheesy in response. It was just like Hunk said about those brownies all those weeks ago. He blinked a few times as the mix of flavors danced over his tongue. “This is...really good.”

“Yeah,” Lance replied with a smile. “Not too spicy for you?”

Keith shook his head as he took another bite. This was perfect. And when was the last time he’d had an honest-to-god homecooked meal?

Laughing, Lance started eating as well, his ankle hooking around Keith’s under the table. “Thank goodness. I was worried you’d be like Pidge, who is the pickiest eater I’ve ever met.”

“They’re not a fan of spicy food?”

“Hell no. If I make this for everyone, they put like half a cup of sour cream on it before they’ll eat it. It’s horrible.”

Keith couldn’t help but laugh at his dramatics. “You don’t make it very often, then?”

“Nah. Hunk cooks most days. Not only is he just generally the best out of all of us, he really enjoys it. Sometimes i think he treats it like a science experiment, but whatever makes him happy.” Lance fell silent for a moment, thoughtful as he ate. “If we hadn’t made it as a band, he’d probably be head chef at some big-name restaurant within a year.”

Thinking back to the brownies, Keith had to agree. “What about you?”

“What?”

“What about you?” Keith repeated, tucking his leg more comfortably against Lance’s. “If you hadn’t made it big here, what would you be doing now?”

Lance shrugged. “I dunno. Probably in college, but I don’t know what I would have been studying.”

“You didn’t have anything in mind?” Keith pressed, curious. Lance always seemed the type to dream big.

Placing his spoon on his empty plate, Lance sat back. “I mean...it might be silly, but I wanted to be a pilot. And...maybe one day fly in space.”

“Why would that be silly?”

Again, Lance shrugged. He seemed to do that a lot, using gestures to emphasize his words. “I dunno. Everyone just said it was an impossible dream growing up. And though being part of a popular band seemed even more far-fetched, that’s what happened. So I just...put everything else aside.”

Keith watched Lance carefully, wishing he knew how to erase that sad look on his face. Maybe he shouldn’t have pressed? But he’d wanted to know. “For what it’s worth, I think you would make it to space if you set your mind to it.”

Lance smiled softly, but changed the subject. Keith couldn’t blame him. “Did you get enough to eat? There’s plenty more if you’re still hungry.”

Shaking his head, Keith pushed his plate away. “While it was delicious, I don’t think I could actually eat another bite.” He really couldn’t.

“All right. Why don't you go pick a movie while I take care of these, then?” Lance started gathering up the dishes.

Keith grabbed his wrist to stop him. “No way. You cooked. I should clean up.”

Lance laughed. “Dude, no way. What kind of person lets their date do the dishes when the date is the guest?” He leaned over and gave Keith a quick kiss. “If it makes you feel better, I’m just putting everything in the dishwasher anyway. So go pick something and I’ll be there in two minutes.” He unhooked their ankles and Keith immediately missed the heat of it.

Shoving the thought away, Keith made his way to the bookcase next to the TV stand to look through the options. There was quite the selection. He wanted to pick something he’d seen before, because then at least he knew he’d enjoy himself. And if they happened to find themselves... _otherwise occupied_ , he wouldn’t miss anything.

“If there’s nothing there catching your eye, we can always pull up Netflix,” Lance said as he flopped on one of the couches.

Keith snorted. “Is that your way of saying this whole date was actually an invite to ‘Netflix and Chill?’”

Lance choked on a laugh. “Oh...oh, my god. Did you just--?”

Instead of replying, Keith picked an action movie at random. It was one of the more recent superhero movies and he’d definitely seen it before. It’d do well enough. He popped it into the player and joined Lance on the couch, curling into his side when the taller male wrapped an arm comfortably around his shoulders.

“So...what about you?” Lance asked as he flipped through the previews and menu options to start the movie.

“What about me?”

Tossing the remote back on the table once the opening credits started, Lance glanced sideways at Keith. “If you weren’t a band manager, what would you be doing?”

What would he be doing? Was there anything he actually wanted to do if given the choice? He couldn’t think of anything. “I’m only here because Shiro helped me out. If he hadn’t...I don’t know. Probably work whatever odd job I could to support myself?”

“There’s nothing you wanted to be even when you were a kid?”

Keith ducked his head. He could just make something up, he knew, but he didn’t want to lie. “Maybe a firefighter or a police officer or something? Growing up...I just wanted to do something that could help others, to give myself purpose since I was just another foster kid. It wasn’t until Shiro’s family took me in during high school that I began to feel like I belonged somewhere.”

Fingers under his chin tipped his face back up and he responded gratefully to the lingering kiss. He felt tears gathering and forced them back. He’d cried enough for himself over the years and he didn’t want to worry Lance, who broke the kiss a small eternity later to press their foreheads together.

“You belong here, too,” Lance whispered. “Even if we don’t last, you’ll have a place here. You’re not alone anymore. We wouldn’t be where we are without you. And you help keep us serious, keep us focused on our jobs. And if for some crazy reason we stop performing, we’d still welcome you. No matter what.”

Keith knew those were things Lance couldn’t promise, couldn’t guarantee they would always welcome him no matter what, but it filled a part of himself he hadn’t realized needed to hear that kind of reassurance. He also knew family was very important to these people. He could hear it in the way Lance talked about his family recipe, the casual way he mentioned Pidge going back home. He knew Hunk also visited his family pretty frequently, same as Shay.

“Thank you,” he muttered, tipping his head to catch Lance’s lips again, hoping to convey just how grateful he was as words didn’t feel like enough.

It wasn’t long before they were stretched out on the couch, Lance’s hand resting on Keith’s stomach under his shirt, but not moving any further than that--just enjoying the contact. Keith was right in thinking they wouldn’t be paying too much attention to the movie, though it was more comfortable than he could have imagined.

When the first movie ended, Lanced stretched out to grab the remote and switched it over to Netflix so they wouldn’t need to get back up. Keith settled onto his back while Lance pressed into the back of the couch to lie on his side, so they could both watch and talk easily about anything that came up. Or trade lazy kisses, which was by far Keith’s favorite part of the evening. The fact there was nothing more behind them other than a simple desire for the touch made them all the more special to him.

Of course, before the end of the third movie, they had both fallen asleep, the busy week catching up with them.

When Keith woke up the next morning with a slight stiffness in his neck, he found he’d turned his back to Lance in his sleep, who wrapped around him like an octopus. He could smell someone making pancakes in the kitchen. _Must be Hunk_ , he thought, given what he’d learned about the others yesterday. Lance stirred soon after and pressed kisses to the back of his neck. At some point during the night, a blanket had been spread over them, but he wasn’t sure if that had been Lance or someone else. There were sounds around the apartment of other people getting up and Keith was surprised that, despite the fact he was surrounded by people when he was used to living alone, he couldn’t think of anywhere else he’d rather be.  
  
*~*

_So, Shay was the one that put the blanket over us last night while Hunk packed up the kitchen. I tried to thank them, but they said they were thanking me for getting them the tickets, so it would have turned into a crazy spiral. Again. But, ugh, hun, it took all day to convince Pidge we didn’t need to sanitize the couch. And they wouldn’t believe me! Not until Shay mentioned that we were “decent” when she put the blanket over us. As if I would break the apartment rules like that._

*~*

Despite how amazing dating Keith was--and it really was wonderful--Lance still couldn’t get anything down for that ballad. It had been pushed from his mind for a short while by the newness of his relationship, but it couldn’t be avoided forever. He felt like he was back at square one with this song.

Hunk and Pidge only let him stew for a few hours before they dragged him over to the couch in the studio, ignoring his protests (which were halfhearted at best).

“Lance, you need to stop worrying about this song so much. It’s not like we’re letting anyone down if we don’t get it done. No one knew about it but us anyway,” Hunk pointed out, starting the conversation per usual.

Pidge nodded their agreement. “Yeah, it’d be great to have, but we’ll live without it, okay?”

Shay sat on the table in front of Lance, holding one of his hands in hers. “Or we can include it as a surprise bonus track if you’re suddenly struck with inspiration, or even just have it be its own single later. We’re not without options.”

“I know...I just feel like I’m letting _you guys_ down. If I can’t write lyrics anymore, then what good--”

“I’m going to stop you right there,” Hunk interrupted. “You’re my _best_ friend. That’s the most important part of our relationship. Everything else, the band, _everything_ is secondary to that. You don’t owe anything for friendship, Lance. So there’s nothing to let down.”

Lance hung his head, trying to hide his tears. “But you guys have done so much to help me out and I can’t even write a few stupid lines.”

“If this is about us telling you to ask Keith out, I thought we explained that from the start,” Pidge replied and Lance could hear the frown in their voice. “You wanted an idea for inspiration, yeah, but we just wanted you to be happy. And you’ve looked happier than I’ve seen you in years. Unless you only asked Keith out for that chance at inspiration?”

“Of course not!” Lance replied vehemently. He was completely head over heels for their manager.

“So separate the two in your mind,” Shay countered. “We only encouraged you to admit your feelings. The chance of you being inspired to write would have been just a bonus at most. That’s it.”

Lance sighed and leaned against Hunk, giving Shay’s hand a gentle squeeze. He really had the best friends.

*~*

_Even in a sea of people, my eyes will always search for you, beautiful._

*~*

Keith had been planning to pass on a message to the band before going out to lunch with Shiro, but paused when he found them huddled around Lance. _What’s wrong? Why is he upset?_ The bits of conversation he overheard stopped any thoughts in their tracks. Had Lance only asked him out for inspiration? It didn’t feel right to think that, but doubt lingered on easily.

He knew he was subdued when he and Shiro went out to his favorite Thai restaurant, not saying more than his order and a polite “thank you” to the server. He could feel Shiro watching him, but he didn’t want to make eye contact, ashamed of his own insecurities.

“Keith, what’s going on?” Shiro asked, reaching over to place a comforting hand on his shoulder. The younger man took a steadying breath. He knew this would be better to talk about, though, if only to sort through what was anxiety and what was worth worrying over in his own head.

Still keeping his head down, needing the semblance of some privacy, Keith repeated what he’d overheard. “And...and I don’t know why Lance would have asked me out, really. They said he liked me before and they were just giving him a push, but what if the main reason was I was convenient?” Deep down he knew he was being foolish. Even if Lance had initially asked him out for that, it had still turned into something far more substantial. But would it last if the foundation was shaky?

Shiro gave his shoulder another squeeze. “I’ll admit I haven’t spent as much time around them as you have, but none of them seem the type to play with anyone’s feelings for personal gain.”

Keith nodded. He knew them well enough at this point to confirm that. However, now that he’d said it aloud, he realized how irrational it sounded. He needed a change of subject. “Part of me still wonders why you put me in charge of them when I had no experience. I mean, I know you were testing me.”

“Yes, but maybe not in the way you’re thinking,” Shiro replied. He took a deep breath and Keith suddenly felt nervous. This wasn’t what he’d expected to hear. He’d thought Shiro would just respond with some random platitude. “I wanted you to do well and not get discouraged. We knew Interstellar Lions would make it big as soon as Allura and I heard them at that bar, but we didn’t know how big. That was all you. Our projections had them at a quarter of their current net value. So congrats on stumping our marketing team.”

Keith felt himself grow angry. “So the test was fake? Even without me doing anything, they would have done well? Why am I even here?” His heart hurt remembering that first dinner at Lance’s place. Would Lance still say they needed him if he heard this? Would he still belong?

Shiro grabbed his arm before he could stand up. “Keith, look at me.”

He tried to stay stubborn, but eventually met Shiro’s eyes. He wanted to know why he had betrayed his trust like that, even if the answer could tear him apart.

“This is why I didn’t tell you before. You’re an amazing manager and a great lead for them to follow. But you had to try. I wanted to make sure you had that encouragement. Yes, they would have been globally recognized regardless of what anyone did. They’re just good. But they’d never be where they are now without you. Maybe one day they could have reached this far, but it would have taken them years longer without you. So don’t sell yourself short. You’re just as vital to them as they are to you.

“And as to what you overheard, your best bet is to probably talk to Lance.”

When Shiro finished, Keith dropped his gaze again. As per usual lately with his lunches with Shiro, he was left with a lot to think about.

*~*

_Cariño, random fact from Pidge that I thought you might appreciate - when hippos are upset, their sweat turns red._

*~*

When they got back after lunch, though, Keith had barely been in his office a minute before the smallest member of Interstellar Lions came in and shut the door.

“Pidge?” he asked, confused. “Is something wrong?”

They shook their head and took the seat across from him. “Well, at least nothing wrong with me or the band, but I wanted to talk to you about something.”

Keith nodded for them to continue.

“Okay, so, I’m not sure how much you heard earlier, but I did see you. I wanted to clear this all up before it had time to fester because I’m not dealing with either one of you if you break up over something as petty as a misunderstanding.

“Back before Lance asked you out, he’d been having issues writing this ballad we were thinking of adding to the next album. Just to mix things up, you know? Anyway, he’d got it stuck in his head that the reason he couldn’t write it was because he didn’t have anyone special. So we suggested that he get a date, mostly as a joke. But he dismissed the idea, saying it had to be someone he clicked with, which is when the rest of us brought up his crush on you. Did you know that poor idiot had been pining over you since that day he moved you to the couch to sleep?”

He hadn’t known that. _That was nearly six months ago!_ Keith turned pink at the revelation. He couldn’t say anything, though. He’d been infatuated for nearly as long.

“So, we kinda used his anxiety over writing the song to _finally_ push him into asking you out, yes, but only because we wanted him to take the chance. So please don’t doubt his feelings. He’s so far gone for you it _almost_ warms my heart.”

He knew Pidge was purposefully trying to lighten the mood, but Keith couldn’t help his snort. “Thanks for this, Pidge.”

Pidge stood with a smile. “No problem. Just remember to actually talk next time. I’m not going to come in to fix things every time.”

Except they would, Keith realized as he watched them leave. He really was part of the team.

*~*

_Baby, are those space pants? Because your ass is out of this world._

*~*

Lance joined Keith at his apartment that evening, glad for the night away. He loved his friends with all his heart, but sometimes it was nice to be someplace quieter. And given Keith lived alone, it was definitely quieter. (Though, Lance knew he could never handle living alone. He always needed someone around, even if they were silent.)

However, he wasn’t sure what was wrong with Keith. He seemed more subdued than usual. Did he want to be alone? Was Lance being a bother by not catching on to some hint?

“I...I can go if you want?” Lance offered, even if it was the last thing he wanted to do.

Keith’s head shot up from his phone where he had been ordering dinner for them. “What?”

Lance shrugged, lifting one hand to hold the opposite elbow. “If you’d rather be by yourself today, I can go back to my place. I don’t want you to force yourself.”

Putting the phone down, Keith stepped close and wrapped his arms around Lance’s waist. Despite his remaining nerves, Lance found himself relaxing into the contact. “No, Lance, it’s nothing like that. I’ve just got a lot on my mind.”

“Anything I can help with?” If he could do anything to help reduce the burden—

“Actually, I think it’s something I can help you with.”

“Excuse me?”

Keith grabbed his phone and then led Lance to the couch, pulling the taller man to sit with him. He finished the food order before placing the phone face-down on table purposefully. “I heard about the ballad you’ve been struggling with.”

Lance couldn’t help his flinch, pretty sure what else he’d heard at that time. “Keith, I—“

“No, it’s all right. Shiro and Pidge helped me understand everything. You don’t need to apologize for any of it. I know what happened.” Keith grinned. “Even that you’ve liked me since that night you moved me from my desk to the couch.”

“Oh god,” Lance groaned, turning bright red as he mumbled a bit in Spanish. “I can’t believe Pidge told you.” Well, really, he could believe it, the little shit.

“Don’t be mad at them. I needed to hear it. Just like i think you need to hear this, even if I’m not the best at it.” Keith paused, as if gathering his thoughts. “Your worth isn’t just in whether or not you can write a song. You’re so much more than that. If I’m the one that keeps everyone focused, you’re the one that reminds us to take a break, to be silly and have fun. You’re the one that reminds us to _live_.

“This band wouldn’t even exist without you. And, if Hunk is to be believed, he and Shay never would have met if you hadn’t signed him up for that English class with you. You’re the glue that keeps everyone together...even me.” Keith stopped again and looked down. “Without your band, I might not have gotten this chance, might not have found out what I’m good at. Or I might have pushed myself too hard and burned out.”

Lance placed a hand on Keith’s, which had fisted against his thigh. He didn’t interrupt, though. He’d never heard Keith say so much in one sitting before and wanted to hear it to the end, even if it was making his heart swell and clench in turns while his eyes teared up.

“You don’t...you have so much love in you. I can tell. You care about everyone around you, making food safe for me to eat, finding Pidge’s favorite snacks, helping Hunk and Shay have time together just for them. Even back when you first signed on to Altea, you made sure everyone was on the same page so that everything went as smoothly as possible, and Shiro _still_ remembers that.”

He finally looked up again, smiling shyly and Lance felt his heart skip a beat. “Just...write from the heart.” Keith’s nose scrunched up and he blushed. “Oh, god, that was not supposed to sound that cheesy.”

Lance grinned, chuckling softly as his near-tears disappeared. “No, no, that was perfect. Nothing better you could have ended it with.” He tugged Keith into his arms and pressed a kiss to his temple before burying his face in long (and _soft_ ) dark hair.

“You’re amazing, too, you know? Handling our schedules and arranging everything. I don’t know how you do it without punching some exec in the face sometimes.” Because Lance had been tempted on more than one occasion, especially when someone insinuated Keith was doing well for “someone so young.”

Keith snorted a laugh into Lance’s shoulder. “There have been a few close calls, but...you’ve helped me there, too.”

“What?” Lance pulled back and tried to meet the other’s downcast eyes. “How?”

Flushing, Keith huffed. “I...Just...thinking about you, about what you would say, helps me focus. I can’t really explain it much better than that. It’s like you’re my stability. I had thought Shiro was for a while, but he pushes me too hard to stand on my own even when I need someone beside me.”

Lance thought about making some risque joke about being wherever Keith needed him, but pushed it aside. It wasn’t the time. He wanted to express his appreciation for Keith’s encouragement in some way, though. He reached up and brushed loose strands of that annoying ( _adorable_ ) haircut. “Can I kiss you?”

Keith nodded and Lance slid both hands into his hair like he’d wanted to during their first kiss on the beach.

The doorbell startled them before they could get much further, though, and Lance was thankful they were both still fully dressed when Keith went to answer the door. They ate silently, watching some show that had been on when Keith switched on the TV, legs pressed together. Lance’s mind went back to everything Keith had said earlier, thinking about all they had done together leading up to that moment, and lines began forming in his head.

And when Keith had pulled him to bed later, cuddling in close as he fell asleep, the lines turned into lyrics.

*~*

_I love you._

*~*

Keith stirred, feeling something was missing, and realized Lance was no longer there with him. _Where…?_ The spot next to him was cold, so he’d been up for a while. Checking the clock, he found he’d only slept for a couple hours himself and certainly felt like he could use more.

But first he had to figure out where Lance was. He pulled the blanket off his bed as he stood, wrapping it around his shoulders to keep in the warmth. Wandering out of his bedroom, he found Lance sitting on the floor with his notebook on the coffee table and Keith’s old acoustic guitar in his lap.

“What are you doing up?”

Lance jumped. “Ah! Oh...um…” He blushed and gestured to the notebook. “I might have gotten it.”

He didn’t need to ask what it was as he sat on the floor next to Lance, keeping the blanket tight around him. “Yeah?”

“Um...do you wanna hear it?” Lance asked, ears turning pink but maintaining eye contact.

Keith grinned, settling comfortably. “Someone has to make sure it’s not totally cheesy, right?”

“Hey, cheesy music totally sells,” Lance retorted, sticking his tongue out, causing them both to laugh.

Slowly, Lance sobered up again and began to strum out a couple chords. His voice was just as gentle and melodic as he read the lyrics off the page.

_And I hope I can make you smile_  
_With little notes in your pocket  
_ _To remind you when I’m not around  
_ _Just how much you mean to me_

Keith could feel his face warming as Lance continued through the song, realizing that he took his comment before about writing from the heart and ran with it. Every verse was so perfectly Lance. Keith buried the lower half of his face in the blanket to hide his growing smile as the other finished the last few lines.

Silence fell between them and Lance watched Keith expectantly, looking more and more nervous as the seconds ticked by.

Unable to help himself, Keith let out a soft laugh, leaning forward to give Lance a brief kiss. “Oh, yeah, completely cheesy,” he said. “But it’s perfect.”

*~*

Of course, it ended up being the most popular song on the album.


End file.
